Psalm 141
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 141
Protection from Sin and Sinners
A Davidic psalm.
1 Lord, I call on You; hurry to help me.
Listen to my voice when I call on You.(A)
2 May my prayer be set before You as incense,(B)
the raising of my hands as the evening offering.(C)
3 Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.(D)
4 Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing
or perform wicked acts
with men who commit sin.
Do not let me feast on their delicacies.(E)
5 Let the righteous one strike me—
it is an act of faithful love;
let him rebuke me—
it is oil for my head;
let me[a] not refuse it.(F)
Even now my prayer is against
the evil acts of the wicked.[b](G)
6 When their rulers[c] will be thrown off
the sides of a cliff,
the people[d] will listen to my words,
for they are pleasing.(H)
7 As when one plows and breaks up the soil,
turning up rocks,
so our[e] bones have been scattered
at the mouth of Sheol.(I)
8 But my eyes look to You, Lord God.
I seek refuge in You; do not let me die.[f](J)
9 Protect me from[g] the trap they have set for me,
and from the snares of evildoers.(K)
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.(L)
Footnotes
- Psalm 141:5 Lit my head
- Psalm 141:5 Lit of them
- Psalm 141:6 Or judges
- Psalm 141:6 Lit cliff, and they
- Psalm 141:7 DSS reads my; some LXX mss, Syr read their
- Psalm 141:8 Or not pour out my life
- Psalm 141:9 Lit from the hands of
Psalm 141
King James Version
141 Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
5 Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.
6 When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
7 Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.
8 But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.
Psalm 141
New King James Version
Prayer for Safekeeping from Wickedness
A Psalm of David.
141 Lord, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
2 Let my prayer be set before You (A)as incense,
(B)The lifting up of my hands as (C)the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my (D)mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
(E)And do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 (F)Let the righteous strike me;
It shall be a kindness.
And let him rebuke me;
It shall be as excellent oil;
Let my head not refuse it.
For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.
6 Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the [a]cliff,
And they hear my words, for they are sweet.
7 Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,
As when one plows and breaks up the earth.
8 But (G)my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord;
In You I take refuge;
[b]Do not leave my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from (H)the snares they have laid for me,
And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10 (I)Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I escape safely.
Footnotes
- Psalm 141:6 rock
- Psalm 141:8 Lit. Do not make my soul bare
Psalm 141
New International Reader's Version
A psalm of David.
141 I call out to you, Lord. Come quickly to help me.
Listen to me when I call out to you.
2 May my prayer come to you like the sweet smell of incense.
When I lift up my hands in prayer, may it be like the evening sacrifice.
3 Lord, guard my mouth.
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Don’t let my heart be drawn to what is evil.
Don’t let me join with people who do evil.
Don’t let me eat their fancy food.
5 If a godly person hit me, it would be an act of kindness.
If they would correct me, it would be like pouring olive oil on my head.
I wouldn’t say no to it.
I will always pray against the things that sinful people do.
6 When their rulers are thrown down from the rocky cliffs,
those evil people will realize that my words were true.
7 They will say, “As clumps of dirt are left from plowing up the ground,
so our bones will be scattered near an open grave.”
8 But Lord and King, I keep looking to you for help.
I go to you for safety. Don’t let me die.
9 Keep me from the traps of those who do evil.
Save me from the traps they have set for me.
10 Let evil people fall into their own nets.
But let me go safely on my way.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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